Orange hard hat with rays above it, surrounded by the text "Together We R.I.S.E." in blue and orange letters.
White logo of the National Apprentice Employment Network with stylized circular design above the organization's name, displayed on a light background.
Orange hard hat with rays above it, surrounded by the text "Together We R.I.S.E." in blue and orange letters.
White logo of the National Apprentice Employment Network with stylized circular design above the organization's name, displayed on a light background.

Pillar Three

Capability & Culture

Building the skills, confidence and cultureto make inclusion the everyday standard.

Where Learning Meets Leadership.

Creating gender equity in trades isn’t just about recruiting more women—it’s about ensuring the systems around them are ready to support, retain and champion them.

Register your Interest
A woman wearing a white hard hat, safety glasses, and a high-visibility work jacket looks directly at the camera in an industrial setting, representing workplace inclusion in trades and the growing role of women in apprenticeships.

Led by Kangan Institute (BKI) and the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU).

Pillar Three, Capability & Culture, is where this shift comes to life.

This pillar equips the people who shape the apprenticeship experience—GTO leaders, field officers, and host employers—with the knowledge, mindset and tools to lead change. It’s about translating insight into action, and action into new norms.

Together, Kangan Institute and the Australian Workers’ Union are turning evidence into education and advocacy into everyday practice—ensuring every apprentice, on every site, can thrive.

Led by the Skills Architect and the Leading Hand

 At the heart of this pillar are two powerhouse partners:

Kangan Institute logo featuring a bold, stylized "K" in black, yellow, and white, with the words "Kangan Institute" in black text to the right.

The Skills Architect

BKI leads Pillar Three: Capability & Culture alongside the AWU.

Designing inclusive leadership and field officer programs grounded in adult-learning best practice.
Their work empowers leaders and staff to identify bias, respond to psychosocial risks, and embed gender-responsive practices into their daily work.
AWU logo with "AWU" in navy blue and "Australian Workers’ Union" in bold orange text on a light background.

The Leading Hand

Also leading Pillar Three, the AWU brings the worker’s voice to the heart of RISE.

Bringing reform to life on-site, the AWU leads the Gender Workplace Support Program—helping host employers strengthen safety, culture and inclusion.
From awareness campaigns to worker-led feedback loops, the union’s involvement ensures reform doesn’t stay in policy papers—it reaches the workshop floor.

Building Skills That Shape Systems

 

Through tailored programs, BKI and AWU are building the capability of those closest to the action:

Inclusive Leadership Training

Developed for GTO executives and senior staff, this training helps leaders:

Understand resistance to change and how to manage it
Lead with empathy, accountability and transparency
Create environments where inclusion is part of performance

It’s not a one-off workshop.

it’s the beginning of a long-term leadership culture built on reflection, courage and care.

Field Officer Development

Field officers are the quiet backbone of the apprenticeship system. Through co-designed, scenario-based learning, this program builds their ability to:

Recognise and respond to psychosocial and cultural barriers
Support women navigating male-dominated worksites
Apply practical inclusion strategies that prevent isolation and improve retention

The Gender Workplace Support Program

AWU’s program takes training out of the classroom and onto the job site.
It helps host employers embed safer, more supportive practices by:

Delivering on-site education and awareness campaigns
Facilitating worker-led conversations about respect and safety
Elevating organisers’ ability to advocate for gender equity on site
Employers walk away with tangible tools—new policies, practical frameworks, and a clearer understanding of their duty of care in modern, inclusive workplaces.

Creating Cultural Shift at Scale

Capability alone isn’t enough. That’s why this pillar also focuses on culture—because inclusion sticks when it’s modelled, not mandated.

 

By 2028, Capability & Culture will have:

  • Delivered leadership training to GTO staff and leaders across the country
  • Built a national field officer network skilled in gender-responsive practice
  • Supported host employers to adopt new site standards addressing flexibility, safety and gender-based risks
  • Strengthened regional collaboration between GTOs to share learning and sustain change
  • Every participant contributes to a ripple effect—one leader, one field officer, one site at a time—creating an industry that women can see themselves belonging to

The Impact

By embedding inclusive capability into the core of the apprenticeship model, this pillar is:

Z

Raising retention

Reducing dropout rates for women apprentices by improving daily experiences and safety
Z

Strengthening leadership

Increasing confidence among GTO leaders to drive equitable change
Z

Reforming workplaces

Helping host employers evolve policies and culture to reflect modern workforce expectations
Z

Embedding equity

Ensuring women’s voices shape the future of industry practice

It’s a transformation that outlives the project itself—
because the skills to build equity are the same skills that build stronger organisations

Register your Interest

How Our Pillars Work

Foundations & Framework

Led by WAVE - Women in Adult and Vocational Education

Learn About Pillar One

Connection & Community

Led by NAEN

Learn About Pillar Two

Capability & Culture

Led by Kangan Institute and Australian Workers Union

The Impact

What the World Looks Like After RISE: A Stronger, Safer, Smarter

Learn About our RISE Impact